Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati

It may seem like Tony Pike has come out of nowhere to turn into a viable NFL quarterback, but the 6-6 signal caller has been a very well known commodity in Cincinnati for a long, long time. After a successful prep career in the Queen City, Pike opted to stick around home and become a Bearcat. There he pretty much sat on the bench for three years, with his only game action coming as a reserve in five games in 2007. Pike eventually emerged as the starter in 2008 and threw for 2,407 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Those were not great numbers, but he did start to show that he was a composed quarterback and his 6-6, 210 pound frame immediately made him a viable NFL quarterback. Pike started out strong in 2009, completing 64.3 percent of his passes and connecting on 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions through six games. However, Pike missed a game in 2009 after undergoing surgery on his left forearm and he might miss more games. But he should be fine to lead Cincinnati at the end of the year and if things keep going this well for Pike and the Bearcats, he will turn into one of the most valuable quarterbacks in this class. 1/24 Update: Cincinnati did just fine when Pike was out with his injury, which does lead to a couple of questions. Most notably, was it Pike that led this team or could just about any signal caller be plugged into the system and be successful (Or is Zach Collaros just that good)? In any event, Pike still looks like an NFL quarterback if he can gain a little strength. He finished up the year throwing 29 touchdowns and just six interceptions; with his size some NFL team will work with him for a couple of years and give him a shot, but they should not use a first or second round pick to get him. 3/29 Update: Pike did not blow anybody away with his numbers at the NFL Combine. But that is not surprising for a 6-6 quarterback. He just simply is not that fast or agile. Yet, he is deceptively elusive and that is what really matters. Whether or not he can elude NFL caliber rushers on a weekly basis remains to be seen. With such slim pickings at the quarterback position this year behind Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen, Pike is likely to hear his name called in the second or third round.